Manufacturing processing systems generally comprise a plurality of distinct tools for performing certain process steps on a wafer (or other form of substrate). Additional tools comprise metrology stations that are used for testing wafers in-between process steps. Generally, the metrology testing is performed to determine the specific accuracy and efficacy of the processes conducted by a particular tool. Depending upon the results of the metrology testing, certain parameters of a particular tool may be adjusted to facilitate improving the function of the tool. In semiconductor manufacturing, current systems can provide intra-tool monitoring and control to provide both feed-forward and feedback data to control the tools based upon information that is gathered within the metrology station at specific instances in time or after. However, such process control in semiconductor manufacturing is limited to controlling only a subset of the processes involved in the manufacture of semiconductors. Conventional solutions do not provide automatic and dynamic overall performance control of an entire manufacturing process. In the solar industry, current solutions provide even more limited performance control. At best, manufacturing facilities for solar products are capable of only controlling one tool with metrology. Display technology manufacturing is limited to controlling only a subset of the processes involved in manufacture of display technology. Moreover, in light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing, current solutions provide limited performance control due to the fact that only a subset of the tools required for LED manufacturing can be controlled with metrology.
In addition, typically, when a production line produces its first group of final products and measures for example, a yield for the final products that is not meeting expectations, the production line is shut down for analysis. Process engineers manually determine the cause for the low yield and which process parameters and/or tool parameters to change to improve the final product yield. This manual analysis can keep the production line shut down for days at a time. Conventional control systems do not provide an overall means to automatically monitor and adjust the target requirements of an entire manufacturing process to achieve optimum final performance.